Announcing the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 7.10

Announcing the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 7.10

Announcing the Release Candidate for Ubuntu 7.10

The Ubuntu team is proud to announce the Release Candidate for version 7.10 of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Gobuntu, and Xubuntu codenamed "Gutsy Gibbon". The Release Candidate includes installable live Desktop CDs, server images, alternate text-mode installation CDs, and an upgrade wizard for users of the current stable release.

We consider this release candidate to be complete, stable, and suitable for testing by any user.

The final release of version 7.10 is scheduled for 18 October 2007 and will be supported for 18 months on both desktops and servers. Users requiring a longer support lifetime on servers may choose to continue using Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, with security support until 2011, rather than upgrade to 7.10.

Desktop highlights

Printer installation: In GNOME, printers are automatically configured for use as soon as they are connected.

Free Flash support with Gnash: Ubuntu 7.10 leads the pack with a preview of this Flash browser plugin. Although still actively in development and not yet fully supported by Ubuntu, Gnash gives a glimpse into the future of free Flash, bringing partial Flash support to 64-bit desktop systems.

Automated Firefox plugin installation: Beyond the addition of Gnash, Firefox in Ubuntu now supports automatic installation of popular plugins through the standard Ubuntu package repositories, for a richer web-browsing experience with the integrated security support of the rest of the Ubuntu system.

Server highlights

AppArmor: This easy-to-deploy kernel technology limits the resources an application is allowed to access and can be used to provide an added layer of protection against undiscovered security vulnerabilities in applications.

Edubuntu highlights

Faster thin clients: Thin clients have been sped up significantly through the use of compressed images.

Updated login manager: The thin-client login manager has been completely reworked, with themes for all Ubuntu flavors, support for autologin, and optional unencrypted graphics transport for improved performance on slower hardware.

Kubuntu highlights

As well as the above desktop highlights, the following new features are specific to KDE users:

Gobuntu highlights

Gobuntu 7.10 is the debut full release of the Ubuntu version that is composed entirely of open source non-restricted software. For experienced Linux enthusiasts, Gobuntu will act as the test bed for developing a user-friendly operating system with no compromise in terms of the open source philosophy.

This initial release comes without any software from the restricted component, and with artwork for usplash and the isolinux CD bootloader.

More Information

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop, laptop, thin client, and server, with a fast and easy install. Ubuntu comes in several variants, including Ubuntu Desktop, Server, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu. The Ubuntu project makes no distinction between a free edition and an enterprise edition - this is our best work and it is freely available.

Used by businesses, home users, schools, and governments around the world, Ubuntu offers regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default and professional commercial technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies.

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this preview release on our website, IRC channel, and wiki. If you are new to Ubuntu, please visit: